Enrollment
305
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jefferson City, MO
Southwest Early Childhood Ctr
Federal NCES profile for Southwest Early Childhood Ctr, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291619003121
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwest Early Childhood Ctr earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Jefferson City · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.7:1
- students per teacher
- 59.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwest Early Childhood Ctr has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Early Childhood Ctr ranks #2 of 3 schools in Jefferson City, MO.
School address
District: Jefferson City · Missouri
NCES ID 291619003121 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.6%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwest Early Childhood Ctr compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwest Early Childhood Ctr
Southwest Early Childhood Ctr is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Jefferson City, Missouri, enrolling 305 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 59.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 305 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Among 210 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #165, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and African American (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 305 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Jefferson City also operates Jefferson City High (1,353 students) and Capital City High School (1,314 students) alongside Southwest Early Childhood Ctr.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Southwest Early Childhood Ctr compares
Southwest Early Childhood Ctr on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.6% | ▲ 29% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 305 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
305
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 37% in Missouri - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$11,977
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 305 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 56.1%
African American 22.6%
Two or More 10.8%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 56.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.5, Southwest Early Childhood Ctr is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson City, which includes Southwest Early Childhood Ctr.
$11,977
Per student
-7%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.7%
State 19.0%
Federal 14.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Southwest Early Childhood Ctr Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson City High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Capital City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lewis and Clark Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clarence Lawson Elem. | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southwest Early Childhood Ctr's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,353
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,314
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 966
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 927
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 440
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~305 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwest Early Childhood Ctr's federal record.
- Compare Southwest Early Childhood Ctr against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson City's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Southwest Early Childhood Ctr
How many students attend Southwest Early Childhood Ctr?
Southwest Early Childhood Ctr has 305 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jefferson City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest Early Childhood Ctr?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwest Early Childhood Ctr is 11.7:1, which is 9% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southwest Early Childhood Ctr?
59.6% of students at Southwest Early Childhood Ctr are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwest Early Childhood Ctr?
The largest demographic group at Southwest Early Childhood Ctr is White at 56.1% of enrollment, in Jefferson City, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwest Early Childhood Ctr?
Southwest Early Childhood Ctr has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Southwest Early Childhood Ctr rank among schools in Jefferson City?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Early Childhood Ctr ranks #2 of 3 schools in Jefferson City, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Jefferson City on the city page.
Is Southwest Early Childhood Ctr a good school?
Southwest Early Childhood Ctr earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Jefferson City?
Besides Southwest Early Childhood Ctr, Jefferson City also operates Jefferson City High (1,353 students), Capital City High School (1,314 students), and Lewis and Clark Middle (966 students). See the Jefferson City district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.